Turning survival into service

Tameeka Russell was 14 years old when the state stepped into her life. By then, instability had been her norm. She had experienced homelessness, family substance abuse, and frequent displacement, moving between unsafe environments with little protection or consistency. This proved only the beginning of the obstacles she would overcome to discover the work she was meant to do. 

Russell entered foster care after severe abuse within her family, abuse she said was not initially believed when she reported it. She became pregnant as a teenager as a result of that abuse, a reality that further exposed the instability and failure of the adults meant to protect her.

The state intervened only after her son was born, placing Russell and her child into foster care together. That decision, she said, saved both of their lives.

For the first time, Russell experienced stability. She and her infant son were taken in by a foster parent who provided safety, structure and encouragement at a moment when Russell’s future felt uncertain.

“She completely changed the trajectory of my life,” Russell said. “She didn’t just tell me I mattered. She showed me.”

Until then, Russell had never been told she had potential. When her foster mother used the word casually in conversation, Russell did not even know what it meant.

“But once she explained it,” Russell said, “something clicked. I realized I didn’t have to become what I came from. I could create something different.”

Russell caught up academically, earned strong grades, and graduated high school on time despite being significantly behind when she entered foster care. She enrolled at Saint Paul College, later transferring to Hamline University, all while raising her son.

Her life was not without setbacks. A failed marriage and a house fire that destroyed nearly everything she owned could have stalled her progress. Instead, they became turning points.

In 2016, Russell left Minnesota for Southern Illinois, seeking space to heal and distance from environments tied to trauma. There, she worked in corrections, first as a substance abuse counselor and later as a correctional officer.

“What I saw inside the system stayed with me,” Russell said. “It didn’t make sense, and I knew I wanted to be part of changing it.”

She enrolled in law school while working full time and raising her children independently. During her studies, she interned with a public defender’s office before finding her calling through a juvenile justice clinic focused on child welfare.

“That’s where I knew,” she said. “This was the work I was meant to do.”

Russell graduated from law school in 2023 and began working in child welfare, eventually becoming a foster care supervisor. The work was deeply meaningful but emotionally demanding. After returning to Minnesota in 2024, logistical challenges and burnout forced another difficult decision.

Rather than viewing it as a setback, Russell saw it as confirmation. “I didn’t survive everything I went through for nothing,” she said. “It was time to build what I wish had existed for me.”

She founded Inspirations for Aspirations LLC, a developing juvenile rehabilitation center, emergency shelter, and residential facility designed to serve youth from birth to age 17. Her vision includes trauma-informed care, stability, education, and long-term residential support for children navigating foster care involvement and housing instability.

Russell plans to locate the facility in Hennepin County, where youth homelessness remains a growing concern. She is currently studying for the Minnesota bar exam, which she plans to take in 2026, while raising funds, securing licensing, and finalizing operational plans.

“Eagles don’t avoid storms,” Russell said. “They use them to rise higher. That’s what I want these kids to learn.”

Her motivation is deeply personal. Her oldest son, once considered medically fragile as an infant, is now 22 years old and pursuing creative and faith-based work. Her daughters, ages 16 and 10, are growing up in a home grounded in stability Russell never had as a child.

Russell remains estranged from her biological parents, a boundary she says is necessary for her own well-being and that of her children. The woman she calls her true mother is the foster parent who took her in as a teenager.

“She showed me what love looks like through action,” Russell said. “Everything I’m building comes from that example.”

Russell acknowledges that the road ahead will not be easy. The need is vast, the resources limited, and the work emotionally heavy. Still, she is unwavering in her commitment.

“If we do not intervene,” she said, “these children will carry instability for a lifetime. I refuse to accept that.”

For Russell, the work is not charity. It is responsibility. “Someone stood in the gap for me,” she said. “Now it’s my turn.”

For more information, contact Inspirationsforaspirationsllc@gmail.com. Russell is also raising funds to support her business.

If you would like to donate, visit https://gofund.me/05b382d4b.

Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com.